Distracted Much? How Do You Manage Distraction and Stay Safe?

[dharmaBum]

Last night I had a terrible and sudden headache. I took two ibuprofen liquigels from a bottle while also grabbing some snacks- jellybeans and chocolate from the fridge. An hour or so later, the headache was still terrible and I couldn't figure out why it hadn't budged. Another hour later I was putting away the jellybeans so that my daughter wouldn't want to eat them in the morning, and the ibuprofen capsules were in the jellybean bag: two translucent aquamarine liquigels, looking just like dandy jellybeans. I must have swallowed two jellybeans whole somehow mixing the whole mess up in my hands. I am so way more than lucky that I found those capsules in the jellybean bag, because my three year old may have eaten them herself- although I would have likely checked any amount of jellybeans I was giving her. She's getting bigger and it's not beyond the possibility that she could help herself to the snacks.

Do you have to watch yourself about these things? I have tons of inconsequential random things I do wrong, like put raisins in the fridge instead of the cupboard, or take my home phone instead of my cell phone when I am going out. I did recently drive the wrong way on a one-way street that I was unfamiliar with (same day that I took my cordless home phone in place of my cell) and that was a bit of a wake-up. I don't take any meds and have pretty active PTSD, especially w/poor sleep and intrusive, repepetive memories. Any tips for keeping it safe?

 

[fin]

Work on and learn to manage your PTSD better - I think you know that already.

I have been in similar situations but you have a small child and you have to look after her. You need to get some MORE control over your PTSD before YOU or she gets hurt. And I would like to share that it wont just be the jelly beans she is at risk from. If you have unmanaged PTSD and YOU do nothing more about it- it WILL afffect her also.

You are here and you can work through this, I hope that this has helped you some it isn't meant to sound sharp, but I hope that it helps you to realise that you are not alone and you have to try harder to work on this. You not only owe it to YOURSELF but I believe you know this also.

Take care and keep trying it will help you here, there is information on coping and learning more about HOW to live and manage the symptoms, but YOU have to deal and work on the trauma to manage PTSD.
~fin

 

[zoe]

I also do similar things to what you have described. I have found butter in the cabinet, paper towels in the fridge, have taken medication out and couldn't be sure if I set it down somewhere or actually took it. I could go on and on. I don't know why this happens, but I have heard other people with out PTSD do similar things ...just not as often as I seem too.

Maybe I should take it more seriously but if I am working on getting better than I figure that is the best I can do. I think it has a lot to do with stress levels, so I try not to let it upset me to much. You found the pills - no one was hurt...don't beat yourself up.

Take care,

Zoe

 

[Ursa]

dharmaBum

Have you discussed that with your therapist?

 

[dharmaBum]

dharmaBum

Have you discussed that with your therapist?

No- the medicine thing happened on a day after a session- haven't brought up the other stuff, actually only had one short session in the two weeks that this issue has been more prevalent- Because, it coincided w/me forgetting/mixing up the schedule for my counseling apt. w/changes some each week.

 

[Ursa]

It might be that something is triggering you and you are doing this as a result... If that is the case, recognizing the trigger might be a good way to get safe.

 

[Deleted member 541]

I have driven through red lights, missed the turn I was supposed to take, put things where they don't belong, ect, ect, as the list is long..... I have talked to my therapist in the past about these issues, and some she puts down to disassociating. Others, shes says it's common stuff that a lot of people do.

I think that we just need to be more *aware* of what we are doing. That we really need to force ourselves to be more alert of the things that we do. I guess being more mindful of the things we do, and around us....

 

[Tinyflame]

Does anyone know how to tell the difference between distraction and moments of disassociation when they are quite fleeting (don't last a long time?)

 

[midi]

For me, when I'm busy, I get distracted ie: lose my keys, forget to turn the stove off. When I disassociate, I glaze over...

 

[Noone.]

Well not to long ago I was cooking and I took my pills this was around dinner time,
a few minutes went buy and I could not remember if I took them so I took 2 more, BAD IDEA when I realizied I over dosed it was too late. They were time release capsules.
I tried to throw up but nothing,
so I stayed up all night worring I was gonna have a Stroke
and my kids were gonna find me in the morning dead as shit.
So I would say I was distracted by doing something such as cooking for my family. Bummer.

 

[Tinyflame]

So, fire- "one thing at a time til it's done", right- can't hurt.

Am sure glad you're ok, yikes, whew!:Hug_emoticon:

 

[dharmaBum]

thx- as always, for the feedback.

I don't really know how to manage the PTSD better. I'm trying hard with the sleep. I think that it is intrusive/repetitive memories and thoughts that are on my mind that are stealing my present-mindedness. I thought that getting more sleep would reduce that... Not really, yet (after only a few days of "better" sleep- still interrupted w/hours of wakefulness in the 3am zone)...

At least with the most intrusive memory (choking survivor) I am now at the point where I am trying to view it from every perspective to think/understand, "why the heck is this on my mind all the time?"